Recipe

Ingredients

1½ pounds small (about 6 inches) zucchini

About 2¼ teaspoons salt

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

¼ teaspoon sugar

1 tablespoon shao hsing wine or dry sherry

Directions

Trim away the zucchini ends. Do not peel the zucchini. Cut each zucchini lengthwise into ¼-inch-thick slices. Lay each slice down on a cutting board and, with a sharp pointed knife, cut it into ¼-inch-wide strips. These strips may now be cut so they are about 2½ inches in length.

Put the strips in a bowl. Add 2 teaspoons of the salt and mix well.

Set aside for 15 minutes. Drain and pat as dry as possible in a dish towel.

Heat the oil in a wok or skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, put in the garlic. Stir and fry for a few seconds until the garlic has browned lightly.

Put in the zucchini. Stir and fry for about 3 minutes or until the zucchini has just cooked through but still retains some crispness. Add the sugar and stir quickly.

Add the shao hsing by pouring it around the edges of the wok and letting it slither down toward the zucchini.

Stir again and serve immediately.

Or if you wish to eat it cold, spread it out on a large plate as soon as it is cooked and let it cool off. Then put it in a covered container and refrigerate it.